Telegraph-switch



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8 J. s. ALLEN.

TELEGRAPH SWITCH.

No, 585,731, Patented July 6,1897

. UNITED STATES,

PATENT Orrics.

JAMES S. ALLEN, OE IIALSEY, NEBRASKA.

TELEGRAPH-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,731, dated July 6,1897.

Application filed July 25,1896. Serial No. 600,521. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES S. ALLEN, acitizen of the United States,residing at Halsey, in the county of Thomas and State of Nebraska, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Telegraph- Switches; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to telegraph-switches.

I'Ieretofore telegraph-operators have experienced considerabledifficulty and annoyance owing to the fact that during electricalatmospheric disturbances the metal parts of the ordinary metal plugcut-out switches have a tendency to fuse, thereby resulting in a burningout of the instruments.

My object is to obviate the difliculty mentioned by the provision of animproved instrun1entcut-out of non-fusible properties, and, further, toprovide a lightning-arrester having a superior switch adapted for moresatisfactorily grounding either side of the line and for use inconnection with my improved cut-out switch.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2, aside elevation, and Fig. 3 a perspective View of the cut-out plug.

A designates an ordinary switch-base.

I provide a lightning-arrester having respective metal line-plates 1 and2 and a ground-plate 3. The line-plates are provided with binding -posts4 and 5, respectively, to which are connected the line-wires 6 and 7.The construction just described is old and well-known to the art towhich my invention appertains, and therefore I do not lay any claim tothe same.

To each line-plate there is connected a contact-spring S. The upperportion of the spring is curved outwardly at 9, downwardly at 10, andrebent upon itself at 11. Portions 10 and 11 lie in close parallelrelation.

The numeral 12 designates a spring switcharm provided with the usualhandle 13. The upper end of this switch-arm is bent inwardly, as at 1+1,and upwardly, as at 15. The binding-post 16 connects the portion of theswitch-arm to the ground-plate,and the shank of this binding-post passesthrough base A, being provided with a clamping-nut 17.

The numeral 18 designates a binding-post whose shank passes through baseA, being provided with a nut similar to the post 16, while a wire 20connects this binding-post with that to which the switch-arm is pivoted.

The numeral 21 designates the ground-wire, which is connected tobinding-post 18.

When it is desirable to cut out either side of the line, the switch-armis thrown around and passed in between parallel portions of one of thecontact-springs 011 the line-plates, thereby aiiording a highly-superiorelectric connection.

The numerals 22 and 23 designate parallel contact-pins, which projectfrom the face of base A and pass through said base, being provided withan adjusting-nut similar to the post 16. The line-plates of thelightning-arrester are also provided with binding-posts 24 and 25, whilethe numerals 26 and 27 designate wires which connect said binding-poststo the contact-springs. I provide a support 28, having upper and lowerguide-arms 29 and 30, the former of which is made double for the sake ofstrength. The upper guide-arm has a single cylindrical opening, whilethe lower guide-arm has an elongated opening.

The numeral 31 designates a contact-plate which is slightly wider thanthe distance between the contact-pins and is provided with anupwardly-inclined portion 32. A plunger 33, having a cylindrical upperportion 34, adapted to work in the opening in the upper guide-arm, andaflat lower portion 35,adapted to work in the slot in the lowerguide-arm, is connected at its lower end to the contactplate. Acoil-spring 36, encircling the cylindrical portion of the plunger andinterposed between the upper guide-arm and the flat lower portion of theplunger, is adapted to normally press the plunger downward, so that thecontact-plate will be in electric contact with the contactpins.

My improved cut-out plug is clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.This plug consists of a flat body 37, having a lower beveled portion 38and an upper handle 39.

The numerals 10 and 41 designate duplicate contact-strips, whose shanks4:2 and heads 43 are sunk in the flat face of the body of the plug atthe same distance apart as the distance between the contact-pinsconnected to base A. The shank of each contact-strip is provided with alongitudinal groove it, which is adapted to receive a contact-pin whenthe plug is in position. These strips are eon nected to the body of theplug by respective screws l5 and at and the rear face of the plug,unless the same be constructed of guttapercha or other suitableinsulating material, is provided with two insulating- )ieees 4:7 and 48,which insulate the tips of the screws from the contact-plate when thecut-out plug is in position. Holes are bored in the heads of thecontact-strips for the reception of the respective instrument-wires a9and 50, while 51 and 52 designate clamping-screws for holding thesewires in electrical contact with said strips.

hen it is desired to cut in the instruments, the lower end of thecut-out plug is inserted between the contact-plate and the contact-pins,with the beveled portion of said plug rest-ing against the inclinedportion of the contactplate. As the plug is pushed home the two inclinedsurfaces ride easily on each other, and the contact-pins are received inthe grooves in the contact-strips. \Vhen the contact-plug has beenpushed against the base, the action of the coil-spring, contactplate,and plunger will hold it firmly in position. Upon removing the cut-outplug the coil-spring urges the plunger and contactplate downward,bringing the latter into electrical contact with the contact-pins,thereby leaving the line through, as before.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a telegraph-switch, the combination with contact-pins, ofguide-arms, a plunger having a cylindrical portion working in one of theguide-arms, and a flat portion working in the other guide-arm, of acoil-spring for urging the plunger forward, and a contactplate carriedon the end of said plunger and adapted to normally establish electricalconnection between the contact-pins.

2. In a telegraph-switch, the combination with contact-pins electricallyconnected to the line-wires, of a spring-actuated plate, and a removablecut-out plug provided with separated contact-strips which areelectrically connected to the instrument-wires, said plug being adaptedfor insertion between the plate and the pins, said plate serving toretain the plug and keep the contact-strips bearing against thecontact-pins.

In a telegraph-switch, the combination with contact-pins, of aspring-pressed plate, and a cut-out plug having centrally-groovedcontact-strips, said plug being adapted for insertion between thespring-pressed plate and the pins, and said plate serving to retain theplug and hold it so that the pins will lie in the grooves of thecontact-strips.

I. In a telegraph-switch, the combination with contactpins connected tothe line-wires, of a spring-pressed plate normally adapted to contactwith said pins having a portion inclined in relation to the contactpins,and a cut-out plug having a beveled lower edge adapted to ride on theinclined portion of the spring-pressed plate, said cut-out plugbeingprovided with contact-s trips, and said springpressed plate beingadapted to press the cutout plug against the contact-pins so that thecontact-strips will be in electrical connection with said contact-pins.

5. In a telegraph-switch, the combination with a lightning-arresterhaving respective plates connected to the line-wires, and provided witha ground-plate, of contactsprings having parallel lips and located onthe respective line -plates, and a pivoted spring switch-arm adapted tobe inserted be tween the lips of the contact-spring.

6. In a telegraph-switch, the combination with a lightning-arresterconsisting of plates connected to the line-wires and another plateconnected to the ground wire, and a pivoted switch-arm adapted formanipulation to electrically connect the groundplate with eitherline-plate, of contact-pins electrically connected to the line-plates ofthe lightningarrester, and a cut-out plug having contactstripselectrically connected to the instruments, said eo11tactstrips beingadapted for electrical connection with the contact-pins.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JAMES S. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

WILLARD A. Rusrr, Rrcnann F. S'rnwan'r.

